Less than a year after Heather’s
death, Beth Potter became the first recipient of the Heather Leigh Albert Award. Potter went on to earn All- American honors at Virginia, becoming the first in a long line of distinguished winners of the award. The list includes two players that went on to play for the United States in World Cup competition (Lauren Aumiller and Katie Chrest). In many cases, the award is the springboard to putting talented players on the national radar. Emma Hamm won the award in 2006, the summer after her junior year at the Baldwin School (Pa.). “It was the most surprising thing,”
said Hamm, who earned All-World honors in helping the U.S. team win the 2007 U19 world championship and was a three-time All-American at Duke. “I’m so glad I won it because it got my family connected with the Albert family. They treat you with so much respect.” Each year, as many as four generations of the Albert family come to the National Tournament to present the award and soak up the atmosphere of an event Heather loved. “Watching the girls play brings me back to the way she played,” said Watson, who serves on the selection committee for the award. “It’s a bittersweet thing,” Gene Albert
said. “Heather used to be the blonde girl with the ponytail running around. There are a lot of tears, but they’re happy tears. In 20 years, this has evolved into a really comfortable, nice thing.” The Alberts’ involvement in women’s lacrosse also has evolved. They have expanded their sponsorship support of the National Tournament, helped coordinate clinics around the country and sponsor tournament teams that have played in Vail and Lake Placid under the Team HLA umbrella. “Team HLA has really helped open up the foundation,” said
The defending champion in the US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament wears Team HLA
Sean
Albert, Heather’s brother, who coached Team HLA to the women’s
elite
championship at Lake Placid last summer. Legendary high school coach Kathy Jenkins usually coaches the team at Vail each summer. The first invitations for Team HLA go
out to recipients and finalists for the award, and then it expands from there. Team HLA allows the foundation to bring more people into the family, and more importantly, to get to know them better.
A Publication of US Lacrosse
“It’s fast,” Gene
Albert said of the award ceremony at the National Tournament. “With Team HLA, we’re out there for several days with the kids. We take them out to dinner and really get to know them. The kids are just great.” One such player
is Florida native Courtney Swan, who is enjoying a breakout season for Virginia. Swan was a two-time finalist for the Heather Leigh Albert Award and went on to play for Team HLA in Vail in 2009 and 2010 and last summer in Lake Placid. “It’s not just a tournament team,” Gene Albert said. “They’re embedded in our family.” When the team gathers in the huddle
before going out to the field, the cheer is always either “HLA” or “Heather.” “You hear 20 of the best players chanting your daughter’s name all these years later — that’s got to be an awesome feeling for a parent,” Sean Albert said.
Heather Leigh Albert Award Winners
1994 – Beth Potter 1995 – Jacque Weitzel 1996 – Sheehan Stanwick 1997 – Sheehan Stanwick 1998 – Kellie Thompson 1999 – Lauren Aumiller 2000 – Kristy Dirks 2001 – Katie Chrest 2002 – Kathleen Miller 2003 – Jennifer Hauser 2004 – Megan Bosica 2005 – Megan Bosica 2006 – Emma Hamm 2007 – Amanda Jones 2008 – Kelly Austin 2009 – Taylor Trimble 2010 – Taylor Trimble 2011 – Taylor Ranftle 2012 – Maeve McMahon 2013 – Kelly Myers
And that
is
a driving force behind the Albert family’s dedication and involvement with the sport. Through Team HLA and through the US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament, Gene Albert said Sean’s kids feel like they know Heather, the aunt they never got to meet. “When you lose a child, your biggest
The HLA Lacrosse Foundation is an annual sponsor of the US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament.
fear is that they’re going to be forgotten,” he said. “With the foundation, Heather won’t be forgotten.” LM
Gene Albert (left) with winners Taylor Rantfle and Taylor Trimble.
2014 US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament May 24-25, 2014
Cedar Lane Sports Park • Bel Air, Md. Co-Sponsored by Harrow and the HLA Foundation
One of the nation’s most prestigious recruiting events, this tournament features 66 regional teams from across the country. Players are selected to represent their region after local tryouts. This year’s National Tournament also will serve as an evaluation round for players trying out for the 2015 U.S. Women’s U19 team.
May 2014 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 43
©KEVIN P. TUCKER
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